Book IV 



Of the District of the Circuit Court of Lima. 



[In which are described all the provinces in its jurisdiction, the 

 silver mines, woolen and grogram mills, vineyards and the other 

 products of the soil, both indigenous and Spanish ; the dress and 

 customs of the Indians ; the founding of the cities and towns ; the 

 Corregimientos and other offices, both those in the appointment of 

 His Majesty, in consultation with the Supreme Council, and those 

 in the Viceroy's appointment ; the description of the Rio Maranon 

 down to the Atlantic, with the expedition led by Gov. Pedro de 

 Ursua ; the posts of prelates and church dignitaries ; and other things 

 worth noting and describing, particularly the filiation of the Incas, 

 when their empire began, and the period of their reign.] 



Chapter I 



[Which Contains a Description] of the Offices and Revenues 

 Existing [in the District Governed] by the Viceroy of Peru ; and of 

 the King's Highways. 



1147. In the preceding chapters I have stated that with Quito, or 

 the boundary of the jurisdiction of its Diocese, the Kingdom of 

 Peru begins. This is what was comprised in the Empire of the Incas 

 and is at present governed by the Viceroy of Peru, covering the 

 district of three Circuit Courts — Lima, Quito, and the Charcas — and 

 to a certain extent in the Kingdom of Chile, not to speak of Panama, 

 for that is not to the point, though it comes under his jurisdiction. 

 He has over i,ooo leagues in his district, from 2° N. to 43° S., 

 where the city of Castro is located, on the islands of the Archipelago 

 of Chiloe, all N. and S., and from W. to E., from the city of San 

 Marcos de Arica, over 550 leagues to the city of Trinidad and port 

 of Buenos Ayres on the Rio de la Plata. That is what the Viceroy 

 has under his charge in administrative matters ; he appoints to 60 

 (68?) Corregimientos and one State government, that of Huan- 

 cavelica ; 12 Paymasters and Treasurers, and 7 other offices of great 

 importance, which are tabulated in the Index of Offices ; 25 admin- 

 istrations of Indian communal organizations, and over 80 posts of 

 Indian Protectors and mill inspectors, not counting his military and 

 naval appointments, and those ad interim in case of death — all these 

 with large salaries and perquisites. Besides this, he presides 



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